Apparatus and process for minerals separation



March 4, 1930. J BLAND 1,749,371

v APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MINERALS SEPARATION Filed Sept. 20, 19 26 Invemzor gmocm Patented "Man 4, 1930 UNITED STAT JOHN BLAND, OF TIN'ION, SOUTH DAKOTA APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR MINERALS SEPARATION Application filed September 20, 1926. Serial No.\136,406.

, My invention relates to a process of and apparatus for separating materials and, has for particular purpose an improved method and apparatus for separating materials in 5. which flat and granular particles are mixed;

A particular application of my inventio'n'is tothe separation of mica from granular material which m ybe mixed, for example with feldspar. v

1 0-- I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings,-,w'herein I I Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation with parts in section; and

Figure2 is a plan view on a reduced scale,

with parts brokenawaypand Figure 3 is a partial vertical section through a variant form.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

I ,7 A indicates a housing having the upper closure A a pertured to receive the feed chute or spout A which may be-associated with any suitable-funnel or hopper A A is a hopper closing the bottom of the housing A and deliveringfor example to the chute. A

Depending from the cover A are any suitable supporting members or rods B with their holding nuts B Spaced along them by the 30 spacing sleeves B3 are a plurality of annular baffles or vanes B each downwardly and outwardly inclined from its central aperture. B- indicatesa hopper underlying the central apertures of said baflles and communicating adapted to pass outwardly 35, with thechute B I of the hopper A or the through the wall chute- A I a (1 indicates any suitable air line extending to anysuitable supply of compressed air 0 andpassmg through the hopper walls A and B to'the. upwardly turnedelbow C aligned withthe center of the apertures'of the baffles B In order to preventthepenetration of fallingmaterial it may be provided with the" doubleconic deflector or guard C mounted for example upon the stem C screw threaded into the. bottom of the elbow G C is anair outlet pipe or suction connecti'on extending; to the suction line Cwhence 0 air is exhaustedfor example by means of the fan or blower O driven by the belt C from any suitable power source. The passage C is downwardly and outwardly flared as at C in order to gather air from a maximum area, the portion C having the additional function of delivering a column of falling material to cylindrical form, or annular in cross-section. t

D indicates an additional unit substantially identical with A and provided with the hopper D and chuteD for the material received by the baifies. D is a spout for the granular material or tailings dropping through the central aperture of the bafiies.

In order to supply material to the member D I provide any suitable conveyor element E, the details of which form no part of the present invention, with the bottom hopper E adapted to receive tailings from the chute B and the upper discharge passage E adapted to deliver said tailings to the upper inlet or discharge member E of the unit D.

Referring to Figure 3 the lea-files B are supplemented byinner concentric battles B In the structure of Figure 3, which should be read in connection with the more complete showing of Figure 1, the deflector C delivers the material to be separated to the space within the battles B in an annular stream.

The mica which flows or eddies out of the r annular stream is received either on the batflfes B or the baffles B being thereby separated from the heavier and directly falling material, for further handling.

It will be realized that whereas I have illustrated and described a practical and operative device nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagram matic rather than as limiting me to my specific description and showing.

The use and operation of my invention are follows:

The problem solved by my novel device and apparatus is the separation of mixed particles part of which are flat and part of which are granular. In other words som "of the granular material but material may become deflected and pass off I particles have a than others, n proportion to their mass, and

' such particles are, for example in the case of mica, prevailingly flat. T he mixed materials 7 in a stream of annular cross-section, within I the inner edges of the bafiles B The mica particles tend to eddy .or volplane laterally and I therefore provide the ballles B and B in order to intercept the laterally eddying material. It is preferable, although not absolutely necessary, to employ an upwardly rising current of air. This air should be of suliicient Velocity to separate the flat particles, or cause them to eddy, without at the same time substantially affecting the downward fall oftl e granular particles.

' Where I wish to preserve and employ both the granular and the flat particles I find it desirable to employ two or more units. For example in the first unit I may employ a relatively gentle current of air suliicient to remove large proportion of the fiat particles but insufficient to deflect the falling granular, material. In such case, as bythe chute A ,I take off the flat particles unmixed with the granular particles. However the separation is incomplete and the tailings passing off along the chute B may be largely granular but will include a considerableproportion of the flat particles. i a

I may then teed these tailings to a second unit which may, if desired, be longer than the first, and which may employ a greater blast of air. As a result all or substantially all of the fiat particles are driven out of the falling some of thergranular across the separating bellies. When my apparatus is so used I obtain from the discharge chute D mica with some granular mixture. The discharge from A will be exclusively of fiat particles, for example mica, and the discharge'from D will be purely granular, for example feldspar. There remainsthe mixed mica and granular tailings of the chute D In cases where the mixed mica is useful no further separation is necessary, but if only the pure product is desired the materialtrom the chute D may be returned to the stream of material undergoing separation, and may be passed either to the hopper A or to the member E to pass through one or the other of the separate units A or D.

It will be realized that whereas I am illustrating an installation with two units, I do not wish to be limited to two. I may employ a single unit or I may employ a larger number than two.

In Figure 3 I illustrate a variant form in far greater exposed surface which ballles B are inserted in the cylindrical space bounded by the annular bafiles. n

It will be realized that whereas I have shown the material as falling in-a cylindrical or annular stream,that the cross-section of the falling stream may be varied'to suit the particular conditions and'thatI do not wish to belimited tomy particular showing.

I claim:

1. The method of separating relativelyflat, relatively light, particles from granular particles which includes causing a stream of such mixed materials to drop downwardly along a predeterminedaxis and directing upward- .ly along said axis a current of air sufficient to cause thefiat particles to eddy laterally, while 1 insufficient'to resist the downward movement I oi the granular particles or to impart substantial upward movement to the flat particles.

2. The method of separating relatively fiat,

relatively light particles from granular particles, which includes initiating by gravity the downward movement of such particles along a predetermined generally vertical axis or zone, directing air upwardly along said axis or through said zone, the velocity of the air being suflicient to cause the flat particles to eddy laterally, while insufficient substantially to affectthe downward movement of the granular particles, and thereby affecting a'lateralseparation of the flat particles in response to their tendency to eddy or volplane laterally out of the axis or zone of: downward movement of the heavy particles.

' 3. The method of separating mixed substances including relatively fiat, light par ticles, from granular particles, which ncludes initiating the downward movement of V such mixed substance along a generally vertical axis or zone of separation, delivering to such zone of separation air at a velocity sutficient to cause the'fiat particles to eddyv laterally, particles for separate disposal, the fall or downward movement oftlie mixe'dmaterials being maintainedthrough a vertical length or height sutficient to cause substantially all ofthe flat particles to eddy laterally before reaching the bottom of said zone or separalllOIl; i i

4;. The method of separating relatively flat, relatively light particles having large areas in relationto their weight, from particles having a relatively smaller area in relation to their weight, which includes initiating the downward movement of a mixed substance including both types of particles along a genand taking off the laterally eddying erally vertical axis or zone ofseparation; dei livering upwardly alongsaid zone of separation air at velocity orfp'ressure sulficient to cause the fiat particles to eddy laterally,

and taking oil for separate disposal such partic-les aseddy or volplane laterally out of the axis or zone of separation. r

fia't,relatively light particles having large areas in relation to their weight, from particles having a relatively smaller area in relation to their weight, which includes initiatingthe downward movement of a mixed substance including both types of particles along a generally vertical axis or zone of separation, delivering upwardly along said zone of separation air at velocity or pressure 'sufiicient to cause the flat particles to eddy laterally, and taking off for separate disposal such particles as eddy or volplane laterally out of the axis or zone of separation, the fall or downward movement of the mixed materials being maintained through a height sufficient to permit substantially all of the flat particles to eddy laterally out of the axis or delivering for a downward fall by gravity a stream of such mixed materials, means, vertically aligned with said delivery means, and

, separated therefrom by a free space, for re- I reciving such particles of such mixed material as fall vertically and substantially vertically, means for directing a current of air upwardly through the space between the delivery means and the receiving means, and a plurallty of separa-tion members, positioned V laterally out of line with the delivery and the receiving member, adapted to receive and direct the laterally eddying flat particles, and

a final receiving member adapted to receive the flat particles delivered thereby.

7. A material separating device for separating relatively flat particles from a mixed mass of material which includes means for delivering for a downward fall by gravity a stream of such mixed materials, means, vertically aligned with said delivery means, and separated therefrom a free space, for receiving such particles of such mixed material as fall vertically and substantially vertically, means for directing a current of air upwardly through the space between the delivery means and the receiving means, and a plurality of separation members, positioned laterally out of line with the delivery and the receiving member, adapted to receive and direct-the laterally eddying flat particles,'and a final ceiving such particles of such mixed material as fall vertically and substantially vertically, means for directing a current of air upwardly through the space between the delivery means and the receiving means, and a plurality of separation members, positioned laterally out of line with thedelivery and the receiving member, adapted to receive and direct the laterally eddying flat particles, and a final receiving member adapted to receive the fiat particles delivered thereby, said separation units including a plurality of circumferential vertically spaced vanes, the inner edges thereof surrounding the vertical free space between delivery means and receiving means, said vanes inclining downwardly from their inner to their outer edges.

Signed at Deadwood, county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, this 12th day of August, 1926.

JOHN BLAND. 

